Goalkeeping – Dealing with the Breakaway

A U12 & U14+ Practice Session for Goalkeeping focuses on the breakaway. The session gives goalkeepers activities to practice closing space, setting your feet and body posture. The session outline is:

Goalkeeping Technical Work
Close The Space
Stalker
Breakaway Save
Breakaway Scrimmage 8 vs. 8

End of practice questions:

Why is it important to close space between you and the attacker quickly? (So the attacker can’t see as much of the goal).
Why do you want to set your feet if the attacker looks like they are going to shoot (so you are more agile, and can dive laterally as needed).
When ‘setting,’ how should the goalkeepers posture be? (hands out, body weight forward, weight on the balls of feet).
When should the goalkeeper try a breakaway dive? (When the attacker takes a bad touch, or tries to dribble around the goalkeeper).

Goalkeeping Technical Work

Players Required:

Set Up:

Using the penalty area, goalkeepers are asked to bounce ball firmly
After every 2-3 bounces, the goalkeepers perform the following actions:
- Roll ball between their own legs. Spin, attack the ball and secure it with a scoop.
- Roll ball between own legs. Look to secure someone else’s ball with scoop.
- Solidly bounce ball. Secure someone else’s ball with a basket catch or collapse dive
- Roll ball between own legs. Secure the ball using a ground breakaway save.

Coaching Points:

Fix technique as needed. Intermix dynamic stretches of arms and legs every 2 minutes.

Close The Space

Players Required:

8-10

Set Up:

The GK starts with the ball and rolls it to the attacker, who has to shoot it with one touch.
The GK closes in on the player immediately after rolling the ball to try and make the appropriate save.
After the shot, the next GK comes on.

Coaching Points:

GKs need to vary the service they play to the attacker to present different angles on the field.
GKs must be quick off their line and reduce the size of the shooters' target.
The GK must be set before the shot. Get the body weight forward, hands in “ready position,” and weight on balls of feet.

Stalker

Players Required:

4-6

Set Up:

During the drill, the attacker dribbles around 18yd box with ball. They do not shoot, but keep possession of the ball. The goalkeeper follows the attacker and attempts to make a breakaway save if attacker takes a bad/heavy touch. After securing the ball, the goalkeeper executes a breakaway save on any of the other balls laying around the 18 yard box.

Coaching Points:

The goalkeeper needs to be patient while waiting for a poor touch from the attacker.
Make breakaway saves by diving at feet of attacker. Make yourself as big as possible, but attack the ball. Get to the ground quickly to avoid the ball being poked underneath you.

Breakaway Save

Players Required:

Set Up:

A server plays the ball to a central player making a run into the box, creating a breakaway.
The goalkeeper tries to make a save or force an error by the shooter.
The next ball is played in for next GK. The attacking players switch lines.

Coaching Points:

Same as above.
The GK needs to close the space as quick as possible.
The GK needs to be in the set position before the shot is struck.
If the attacker tries to dribble around the GK, the GK needs to make himself as big as possible
When a GK dives at the shooter's feet, his hands should go to the ball instead of the feet.

Breakaway Scrimmage 8v8

Players Required:

Balls Required:

Goals Required:

Set Up:

Play 7v7 on a field with high restraining lines.
Objective is to play a through ball for an attacking player to run on to. Once that happens, players are allowed to play in that space.
Players are also allowed to dribble over the restraining line if that option is available.

Coaching Points:

Work with goalkeepers on recognizing the timing of runs to come out to meet attacker on 1v1.
Technique.
Communication with backline.

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